Scottie’s Riviera test continues as scottie streak ends
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler arrived at Riviera carrying an 18-tournament run of consecutive top-10s that ended this week. The scottie streak collapsed into a T-12 after an opening three-over 74, a Friday cutline scare and a dramatic Sunday in which late moves by rivals pushed him down the leaderboard.
Riviera’s history of confounding greats
The George C. Thomas design at Riviera Country Club has long been counted among golf’s cathedrals. It has hosted U. S. Opens and PGA Championships and, since 1973, has played host to the PGA Tour’s LA Open, now the Genesis Invitational. Many legends have won there — Hogan, Snead, Watson, Nelson, Mickelson, Couples, Faldo, Els and Adam Scott are on the roll call — but the course has also frustrated some of the best of their generations.
Jack, Tiger and Rory have been unable to get it over the line at Riviera, a venue noted for its small, tricky Poa annua greens and a playing profile that correlates to Augusta National by asking players to control spin and trajectory on approach shots.
Why Tiger Woods struggled here
Behind the puzzle of Riviera are tangible numbers and long memories. Tiger Woods has made 15 starts at Riviera, including his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992. He has made 10 cuts but only three top-10s, one of which was a runner-up finish to Ernie Els in 1999. Jack Nicklaus had two runner-up finishes at Riviera but never won, and Rory McIlroy’s T2 on Sunday stands as his best finish in Pacific Palisades.
Players and peers have been blunt about the oddities: Max Homa said in 2023, “It makes absolutely no sense, ” when describing Woods’ lack of success at Riviera. Adam Scott noted that Woods is “a really great iron player” and that Riviera’s demand for iron play makes the lack of wins “a little bit inexplicable. ” Woods himself said in 2024 that the course is visually comfortable for him, that it is “a fader’s delight from the tee shots” and that despite being a good iron player he has not been able to put it together at this event except once when he had a chance.
Scottie struggles, streak ends
Scottie Scheffler’s week at Riviera carried its own backstory. He arrived with a checkered history at the venue: he missed the match-play cut at the 2017 U. S. Amateur and missed the cut as an amateur at the Genesis Open in 2018. As a professional, he entered the week with four top-20s at Riviera but had never finished within six shots of the lead.
He also arrived riding an 18-consecutive top-10 streak, which is now over. Scheffler opened on Thursday with a three-over 74 and found himself walking the cutline. After holing a par putt on 18 on Friday to make the weekend, he said, “I don’t know, this place and I have like a weird relationship. I feel like I can play so well out here and I just haven’t yet. ” He also said he benefitted from early tee times and less chewed-up greens as he made a charge over the weekend.
Sunday drama and leaderboard shifts
Sunday at Riviera produced drama across the leaderboard. Jacob Bridgeman began the day with a six-shot lead that grew to seven at one point; the 26-year-old hung on for a one-shot victory. Scheffler, who had been four over through 26 holes and in danger of missing the 36-hole cut, rallied to stick around and then produced a furious back-nine charge on Sunday that included a late birdie on No. 15.
Scheffler’s back nine that day was a 31 and he posted a final-round 65 to climb into the top 10, but he was overtaken late. Tommy Fleetwood vaulted past him courtesy of an eagle hole out from 173 yards on No. 15, while Cameron Young birdied his final three holes to move past Scheffler. Those late climbs dropped Scheffler into a T-12 and ended his streak at 18 consecutive top-10s — the longest of its kind since the tour began keeping official stats in 1983. By contrast, Tiger Woods never managed more than 11 consecutive top-10s.
Scheffler reflected on his week with frankness: “I mean I’ve never been one to quit so it’s not really … I mean, I’d feel pretty silly to quit in a PGA Tour event. Overall, being out here and competing, that’s what I love to do and, like I said, got to go out early yesterday on some fresh greens, get a little bit less wind. It’s easier playing in the morning than it is late in the day. Took advantage of it. Then I had another solid day today. ”
Aftermath and immediate perspective
The end of the streak closes an unusual chapter: Scheffler’s run of 18 consecutive top-10s was historic, but his week at Riviera reinforced the course’s tendency to confound even the best players. A T-12 at a signature event remains a solid result, and Scheffler’s week included both a scare — being four over through 26 holes — and a strong recovery that fell just short when others surged late.
Unclear in the provided context: what specific shot-making or hole-by-hole decisions beyond the noted birdies and eagle most directly swung the final standings.
